How to Create an AR Filter: The Complete Beginners’ Guide

Augmented Reality (aka AR) is no longer a thing you see in sci-fi movies.

Today, AR filters (sometimes called face filters, lens effects, or camera effects) appear everywhere: On social media, in shopping apps, brand campaigns, navigation, and even in medical training.

In fact, as of 2025, there are around over 1.07 billion mobile AR users, with this number expected to reach up to 1.19 billion till 2028.

That means the tools, the design, and even the “secret sauce” behind AR filters no longer belong solely to tech giants. Now creators, developers, hobbyists (or anyone with an interest in camera effects) can now build AR filters themselves. And this post will walk you through how to create AR filters step-by-step.

Think of this as a practical, plain-English guide for creators, developers, marketers, business owners, and curious minds who want to dip their toes into AR.

Basics Out of the Way: What Exactly are AR Filters?

A simple explanation would be: an AR filter is a digital overlay or effect that a camera applies in real time on a user’s face, body, or environment.

It could be something simple like digital sunglasses, or complex like a face-mask that reacts to facial expressions, motion-based effects, or virtual try-ons for products.

And the reason they’re becoming so popular is:

In short, AR filters are a bridge between technology, creativity, and user engagement, and that’s why the no. of AR users just keeps growing.

Look at the Tech that Powers AR Filters

Here are the main technical concepts (explained simply) that power AR filters:

• • Face / Object Detection: The camera feed is scanned to locate a face (or any other object like a hand or room surface).
  • Tracking & Landmark Mapping: Once detected, the software tracks key “landmarks” (eyes, nose, lips, jaw, etc.) even as the user moves, turns, or changes expression.
  • Rendering / Overlay Engine: These visual assets are layered onto the live video — aligned to the landmarks — so the effect appears naturally “on” the user. For instance, the glasses stay on the nose. Or the mask moves with the face, etc.
  • Optional AI-imaging Enhancements: For advanced filters, you can bring AI to the table, which can help with lighting adaptation, skin tone blending, gesture detection, or environment awareness, making filters more realistic and adaptable.

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  And if all these parts work hand-in-hand, you get a real-time AR effect that feels almost as good as the ones on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

AR Filter Creation Process in Action, Step-by-Step

Here’s a simplified workflow on how to create your next AR filter:

Step 1: Map out what kind of filter or object you’re looking to create

The first question you should be asking yourself: what’s the purpose you’re creating the filter for. Is it to entertain, enhance beauty, promote a product or brand? Or, are you building an AR-based game or something like that.

Whatever you’re making it for, a clear idea will shape everything that follows.

Step 2: Choose your tool or platform

If you’re going for a social media filter, then tools like Lens Studio or Effect House are your best bet.

If it’s for a custom app or website, a generic AR SDK / framework + 3D/2D assets will do just fine.

But if you’re building an AR experience within your own product, app, or campaign, you’ll need more flexibility.

Step 3: Design the visual assets

There are plenty of 3D libraries out there, with sunglasses, hats, and beards you can download for free. (Some go-to sources are:

• • Sketchfab

• • Turbosquid

• • (CG Trader)

And if you’re looking to design the assets from scratch, use design tools like Blender or Maya (for 3D models) or Photoshop and Figma (for 2D textures)

But regardless of which route you take, each asset must align with the facial cues (eyes, lips, cheeks) so the expressions don’t feel clunky.

Step 4: Import assets into the AR tool

Every AR tool (Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House, or an SDK) has an area where you import files. Usually, this is as easy as dragging and dropping your files into the workspace.

After importing, you must attach your asset to something in the scene. Then you adjust (meaning move, resize, rotate) the object so it looks just right.

Step 5: Add Interactive Elements (Optional)

Interactivity just means the filter responds to what the user does.

For eg:

• • The effect changes when the user blinks.

• • Something pops up somewhere on the screen when the user smiles.

• • Background animates when the user opens his/her mouth.

You don’t have to have interactions. Some filters don’t have anything “special” in them, and yet work perfectly fine.

Step 6: Test on different devices & conditions

After setting everything up, try your filter on as many phone types as you can get your hands on.

Also check how the filter behaves under different lighting (bright daylight, dim indoor, backlit environments, etc.) as face-tracking can behave differently depending on the environment.

And testing helps you catch those problems before your users do.

Step 7: Publish it

Once you are happy with your preview, you can publish your filter.

• • If you want it on social media, you publish through their platforms (Spark AR Hub for Instagram/Facebook, Lens Studio for Snapchat, Effect House for TikTok).

• • If it’s for your own website or app, you export the filter or effect files and integrate them using the AR SDK or framework you selected earlier.

And this will make it available to other users to try out.

Real-World Examples & Use Cases of AR Filters

AR filters show up in a lot of different places, and people use them for all kinds of creative and practical reasons. Some examples being:

Social media selfie filters

Creators make filters using tools like Spark AR or Lens Studio, then publish them on Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok.

These can be anything from holiday-themed filters to face masks to virtual makeup.

The best part?

A simple fun filter can go viral because people post photos and videos using it. This gives the creator a lot of visibility without needing expensive equipment or heavy production costs.

Virtual try-on for e-commerce

Brands let users “try on” products (glasses, hats, makeup) via camera before buying.

And over 85% users actively exploring AR and VR are also found involved in social shopping, majorly because AR makes it easier to imagine the product in real life.

Interactive marketing campaigns

Brands also use AR filters to create buzz during product launches, events, or seasonal campaigns.

For example:
A brand releases a limited-time AR lens for a festival. Users try it, share it, and the filter spreads naturally across social media.

This turns a normal advertisement (which people might scroll past any given day) into a fun, interactive experience.

Medical training & healthcare applications

AR filters aren’t just for fun or shopping, but also used in medical education and healthcare. Medical students and professionals can use AR to imitate surgeries, or practice procedures in a safe, carefree environment.

For instance, surgeons can practice complex procedures using AR guidance before performing them on real patients.

This not only helps reduce mistakes, and allows medical teams to train remotely or in simulation labs without needing real patients.

Complete Checklist: What You Need To Begin Right Now

If you want to start building an AR filter today, simply follow this checklist below:

• • Choose a platform (Spark AR, Lens Studio, Effect House) or an AR SDK if building for your own app

• • Install or download the required tool on your computer (Mac or Windows)

• • Sketch a concept: what effect you want (face mask, try-on, background effect, or anything else you have in mind).

• • Prepare visual assets, either downloading (for free) through 3D libraries or design one from scratch using tools like Blender, Maya, Photoshop, and Figma

• • Import assets to your tool, attach to a face/object tracker, adjust position/scale

• • Add simple interactivity (blink, smile, head turn, etc.) if needed

• • Test on multiple devices and various lightings

• • Preview your filter and publish it to be used by users

Conclusion

Creating AR filters (whether for social media OR your own apps) isn’t limited to the big boys anymore. Today, with the tools available and a bit of creativity, nearly anyone can build immersive AR experiences.

Whether you’re a casual creator, a small business owner, or a developer experimenting with new ideas, you’ve got all it takes to build one.

And if you were to get stuck somewhere and want a little help, on the technical or creative side, you can always turn to NOSMAI for support.

At NOSMAI, we build the camera-based software that powers things like real-time effects and AR interactions inside apps, so we’re used to helping teams figure out the technical parts when they need it.